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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26655361">Confusion! At The Roller Rink</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephThropp/pseuds/JosephThropp'>JosephThropp</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Flirting, Crushes, F/M, M/M, Pansexual Character, Pansexual Steven Universe, Post-Episode: s06e19 I Am My Monster, Pre-Episode: s06e20 The Future, Rollerblades &amp; Rollerskates, Teen Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:42:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26655361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephThropp/pseuds/JosephThropp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In his heart, Steven knows he is entirely committed to Connie. Unfortunately, his brain sometimes doesn't have the best words to talk about their history and relationship. A small problem that can lead to big misunderstandings on occasion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Daniel/Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Confusion! At The Roller Rink</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So first off, a big thanks to tearfullypink for inspiring me to write this with their <a href="https://tearfullypink.tumblr.com/post/625500397829767168/what-are-your-headcanons-for-the-staniel">headcanons</a> and <a href="https://tearfullypink.tumblr.com/post/617939308152832000/steven-x-daniel-and-connie-x-patricia-is-wlwmlm">art</a> for this cute little ship! MLM Steven will always have a very special place in my heart. Also a big thanks to both Ramen and Abel for beta reading for me! Thanks for helping me make Daniel into less of a dick!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ever since that first visit of his to the Starlight Roller Rink, Steven was proud to say he really felt like he’d improved as a skater. He was still far from anything resembling good, but at least he could keep upright as he glided over the concrete. Connie, Patricia, and Daniel were somewhere way off ahead of him, but that was okay. Being a little slower just meant that every once in a while they’d all show up from behind Steven again and skate alongside him for a minute before the cycle started again.</p>
<p>Fun as it all was, though, Steven was more than happy to take a break once he got back to an entrance to the skate floor. He was still just uncertain enough on wheels to want to sit back every few minutes. He rolled over to one of the nearby benches once he got back to the carpeted floor, plopping down onto it with a relieved sigh.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes as he relaxed, happy to just take in the playlist playing in the background of the hustle and bustle of the busy rink. There were lots of good tracks tonight. It complimented the retro vibes the rink gave off.</p>
<p>“Wonder if Sour Cream’s on the DJ stand tonight. This feels like some he’d put on,” Steven mused aloud.</p>
<p>“He’s that guy who’s always wearing the blue hoodie, isn’t he? Yeah, it’s him.”</p>
<p>Steven’s eyes shot open as he heard a voice answer from nearby, looking up to find Daniel smiling down at him.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey Daniel!” He gave a brief wave, looking off to both sides of the other boy for a moment. “Where are the girls?”</p>
<p>“Still skating,” Daniel answered, stepping aside to give Steven a better view of the rink. He could see Connie and Patricia still rolling along, gripping each other’s arms tightly and giggling madly as they turned a corner. “They’re trying to do that move where you grab one person’s arms and propel them forward.”</p>
<p>“Oh. Don’t you need three people for that?”</p>
<p>“Sure do.” Daniel rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t looking to get wrapped up in that mess. Is it cool if I chill out over here with you for a minute?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course!”</p>
<p>Steven smiled as Daniel took a seat to the left of him. It was nice, being comfortable around him like this. That first, awkward meeting was such a distant memory by now. How long ago had that even been? It was well before Steven had started getting help, which felt like a lifetime ago some days.</p>
<p>Things were a lot better now, though. Connie had nudged Steven back into public outings over the past few months, and Daniel and Patricia had been a part of that too. Meeting new people and getting out of the bubble he’d been in for so long was a surprisingly easy thing to do, once he’d found his footing in talking to them.</p>
<p>Between Daniel and Patricia, the former was actually a little easier to talk to. Steven wouldn’t have guessed that from their first meeting, but he was honestly a really nice guy. The type that was very relaxed and up for anything, with a great sense of humor to boot. That made him a great person to just sit back and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with. An atmosphere like this one!</p>
<p>“You’ve known Connie for a while, right? Like a few years?” Daniel asked, turning his head Steven’s way. “Has she always been like this?”</p>
<p>He gestured towards the girls again, and Steven’s eyes followed. He saw them just in time to watch Patricia attempt to whip Connie forward by her arm, only for Connie to end up tumbling down to her knees. The impact looked like a rough one, enough that Steven had to fight an urge to jump up and go check if she needed some magic spit applied. That wasn’t necessary, though. Connie was tougher than she looked. She was laughing even after hitting the ground, immediately reaching her hand out and letting Patricia help her back up onto her feet.</p>
<p>“She wasn’t <em>anything</em> like this when we first met,” Steven said, his eyes still following Connie around the rink. “I mean, deep down she was mostly the same, yeah. Nice, helpful, sweet, all that good stuff. She didn’t have the self-esteem she has now, though.”</p>
<p>Daniel raised one brow a bit. “Did a good friend of hers help change that?”</p>
<p>Oh boy. Now wasn’t that just a loaded question? Steven slumped back a bit in his seat, threading a few fingers in his curls as he considered it. He had a pretty good idea at what Daniel was hinting at with that little remark. It would be disingenuous to suggest he didn’t have any part in it, but it wouldn’t be fair to downplay the role Connie herself had played.</p>
<p>“I guess,” he finally answered after a minute. “She did a lot of stuff because of me. I think that was just like, the groundwork though.”</p>
<p>“Groundwork for what?”</p>
<p>“The important stuff. Like, she got more and more confident the more we hung out, but she was the one who stood up for herself to her parents.” It was true. Steven had stuck almost entirely to the sidelines when Connie most needed to assert her independence, especially to her mother. “I’m more like a stepping stone. I was just there to support her until she got to the other end of the river.”</p>
<p>Daniel seemed to think on that answer for a minute, only to end up giving a shrug. “Eh, six of one, half a dozen of the other.”</p>
<p>“...What does that mean?”</p>
<p>Steven’s uncertainty was genuine, and the way Daniel chuckled at him after he said it made him feel self-conscious for a second. It didn’t last, though. Daniel shook his head and smiled at him after his laughter stopped. He had a smile that always put Steven in a good mood. It was the kind that belonged on a greeting card or a movie poster.</p>
<p>“I dunno, Steven. I’m actually pretty terrible at math,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s cool you helped out Connie. Without her, I’d be doing even worse than I am now.”</p>
<p>“Oh, more cram school trouble?”</p>
<p>That was a recurring theme in their conversations. Daniel had told Steven before that he was a good listener whenever Daniel needed someone to vent to. Steven was just happy to try and sympathize, even if he didn’t actually know very much about what cram school was. Connie was forthcoming with stories, but it was an entirely different world from anything he knew.</p>
<p>“Yeah, always cram school,” Daniel confirmed. “My mom is pitching another fit about it. If I never hear her tell me to be more like Patricia again, it still won’t be soon enough.”</p>
<p>“Aw, come on! Patricia’s cool!” Steven laid a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, looking back to the girl in question. “You don’t have to be just like her, but I bet your mom just wants you to be a little more open or optimistic like her.”</p>
<p>Daniel snorted. “Trust me, Steven, she doesn’t want me to act like Patricia for my sake.”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about? Who else would it help?” Steven asked and let his hand fall, snickering at Daniel’s expression. It was that adorable kind of irritated, with the pursed lips and everything.</p>
<p>“It helps her. She thinks that she can set me and Patricia up.”</p>
<p>Steven’s laughter stopped, his brow furrowing. “Like...as a couple?”</p>
<p>“Somethin’ like that.”</p>
<p>There was something in Daniel’s tone as he spoke, something that was just so...unlike him. He was always pretty low-key and relaxed, but the way he slumped and closed his eyes at that admission went beyond just simple, relaxed vibes. Steven didn’t like it. It made Daniel seem defeated</p>
<p>“That’s not right,” Steven interjected, squeezing his hands tightly. “That’s not the kind of stuff you can just try and base off of what somebody else thinks. Relationship stuff, I mean.” He bristled a bit, just thinking back on his own experiences.</p>
<p>Daniel gave a humorless little snort. “You talk like you’ve been through that.”</p>
<p>The tightness that had formed in Steven’s chest worsened a bit. Oof, yep, memories were hitting him hard right now. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath in through his nose, already trying to stave off that hot feeling he could feel beginning to build beneath his skin. Counting out the seconds in his head, Steven held the breath inside him for a moment before letting it out through his mouth.</p>
<p><em>You proposed to Connie when you definitely shouldn’t have, based on what Ruby and Sapphire thought.</em> He let the thought take up the space in his mind. It resonated there for a minute, recreating that moment so vividly. Steven stayed mindful of it, though. He allowed himself to slip back into the way he’d felt in that moment on the beach, feeling aimless and utterly alone in that crater in the sand. He didn’t let it consume him, though. This far away from that time, Steven knew he couldn’t be hurt by it anymore.</p>
<p>With that in mind, he was able to let the thought pass by after another moment. The memory of feeling crushed and stupid on the beach was gone, and Steven was back in the roller rink. The soft R&amp;B music playing in the background gradually came back to him, as did the sensation of a hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>When Steven opened his eyes again, he looked over to see Daniel looking at him with a concerned look. This wasn’t the first time he’d surprised someone with his mindfulness exercises, probably wouldn’t be the last. Oh well.</p>
<p>“Hey, you okay?” Daniel asked as Steven focused back on him. “You looked like you were a million miles away.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m okay,” Steven confirmed. “Sorry about that. Just thought about some...hard stuff. I’m kinda sensitive to relationship stuff sometimes.”</p>
<p>“You wanna talk about it?”</p>
<p>Maybe a good idea, but the kind that sounded a little tricky. Steven wasn’t quite sure how much he could say that wouldn’t feel like he was divulging too much. Connie hadn’t told anyone about what he’d done. He knew it was more for his sake than her own, she’d told him as much. Even so, it felt weird. Like telling a secret. A secret that wasn’t even fully his own, at that.</p>
<p>Connie hadn’t spoken to her parents about it, or the gems. The topic had come up in discussion with each in the past few months, but that took a lot of work to build up to, and only with her consent. This was different. She wasn’t here to have a say in whether Steven told someone new.</p>
<p>Then again, Steven <em>had</em> already broached the subject with her there before. It was during a session with Dr. Lin a few months back. He’d felt bad about it then too, but it was kind of a necessity. No real chance of moving on and feeling better about it if he didn’t talk about it. Clearly it was still an occasional issue for him, too. Maybe all the more reason to talk about it here?</p>
<p>Steven hesitated for a minute, but quickly warmed to the idea. There was some spark of genuine concern in Daniel’s eyes that just really spoke to him somehow.</p>
<p>“It was something I did, months and months ago,” he began, his hands slowly moving towards his knees. “It was a little while after my first visit here. That night I met you and Patricia.”</p>
<p>“I remember that,” Daniel said with a light chuckle, pulling his hand away. “You fell on your face a lot, and we thought you were kinda weird at first.”</p>
<p>Steven raised an eyebrow, unable to keep a hint of a smile from creeping onto his face. “Not anymore, though?”</p>
<p>“Nah. Well, kind of. You’re definitely weird, but in a good way.” He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. “The same kinda weird that we are, you know?”</p>
<p>“Uh…not entirely, but I think I get what you mean.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t really entirely true, but Steven was rolling with it. From what he understood, it just sounded like Daniel trying to be nice, and to say that Steven fit in well with them. It was sweet, and made what he was trying to do here a little easier. This whole <em>talking about the big bad thing he did</em> business.</p>
<p>After a second, Steven finally sighed and made a call. “I proposed to Connie. Like, marriage.”</p>
<p>He could see a flash of surprise on Daniel’s face when he said that, which changed to confusion soon after. Neither said anything for a moment, but the wide-eyed look on Daniel’s face said everything. He was waiting to hear more, some clarification that would explain that the whole thing wasn’t as bad as it sounded.</p>
<p>Honestly, Steven wished he had a way to make it sound that way too.</p>
<p>“Holy shit,” Daniel whispered once it was clear Steven was entirely serious. “Why?”</p>
<p>“Ugh. A million reasons,” Steven replied, wiping a hand down his face.</p>
<p><em>Purpose. Keeping her close. Being good at stuff. College. A wedding.</em> The list went on. Some reasons were better than others, but none of them were really right. Definitely not for two teenagers, anyway. Looking back on where his head was at in those days never really got any easier, no matter how far away he got from it all.</p>
<p>Steven pulled his hand from his face, stuffing both of them in his jacket pockets instead. “I guess two major reasons. Two people who pushed me to do it. They thought everything had to be about <em>love</em> or whatever. I get hyped about love too, but they took it too far. It wasn’t realistic. It wasn’t fair to her. It wasn’t—”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t what <em>you</em> wanted,” Daniel interjected, “it’s just what someone made you think you needed because they think that whatever they do works for everyone, and it doesn’t!”</p>
<p>His voice was suddenly fiery and passionate, or at least more so than it typical was. His frustration was apparent not just by that, but thanks to his clenched fists and furrowed brow as well.</p>
<p>“I...I guess that’s true,” Steven conceded after a second. “Part of me had always wanted something like that, but they’re the ones that pushed me to do it in a way that just wasn’t right.”</p>
<p>He looked down at the neon lit shooting stars on the carpet, carefully considering it for a moment. Even if the wording wasn’t exactly what he would’ve gone with, Steven was still surprised with how effectively Daniel had just summarized what he’d been feeling when that all went down.</p>
<p>He looked up at Daniel again. “Is that how you felt with your mom, and how she was trying to set you up with Patricia?”</p>
<p>“Course it was. Like, of course I want something like that, but she’s trying to make it happen in a way that’ll never work.”</p>
<p>A soft little grin made its way to Steven’s face. “Well, hey, look on the bright side! We both felt that way, but you were smart enough not to buy into that.” He reached over to playfully bump his fist into Daniel’s shoulder before setting it down on the bench again. “You followed your gut and didn’t do something that felt wrong. You stayed true to you.”</p>
<p>Even though Daniel didn’t respond to that right away, he didn’t really need to. A smile crossed the other boy’s face while he stared out across the rink, and his cheeks seemed to flush a slightly darker shade. While Steven was working less on doing emotional labor for the sake of others, he was still happy to have done that for a friend in this instance.</p>
<p>“You know, Steven, you’re pretty smart for someone that doesn’t take any AP classes,” Daniel said, turning his head to Steven.</p>
<p>“I guess that means I’m <em>super</em> smart for someone that’s never taken any classes literally ever.”</p>
<p>That was enough to set both of them off with a shared bout of laughter. Steven’s eyes squeezed shut as he chuckled, though his own laughter died off when he felt something warm on top of his left hand. He suddenly opened his eyes to find the tips of Daniel’s fingers laid on his hand, just enough for the other’s fingertips to brush over his knuckles.</p>
<p>“Oh, sorry, let me just…” Steven began to inch his hand back from underneath Daniel’s, only to find that the other hand just followed his and stuck on top of it.</p>
<p>“That wasn’t an accident, Steven,” Daniel said. “That’s kind of how I was trying to make a move.”</p>
<p>Steven raised an eyebrow. “Like you want me to scooch further down the bench, or just move somewhere else entirely?”</p>
<p>Just like that, Daniel started laughing all over again. Steven felt his own face flush this time, unsure what was so funny. Daniel’s hand did slip off of his though, moving up to grip his shoulder instead. It was at least a little reaffirming, even if Steven still didn’t know what the heck was so funny.</p>
<p>“Steven, I’m talking about ‘making a move’ as in <em>flirting</em>,” Daniel clarified, his laughter finally trailing off.</p>
<p>Oh.</p>
<p>A sudden wave of realization hit Steven like a freight train once he finally put two and two together. The flush on his cheeks worsened while his eyes widened a bit, his whole body going stock still.</p>
<p>“Wait, flirting? Like...<em>flirting</em> flirting?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Unless there’s another kind of flirting I don’t know about,” Daniel shot back playfully.</p>
<p>“No, that’s not—! I <em>just</em> told you about trying to propose to Connie, and you want to flirt with me?”</p>
<p>“I mean, isn’t that the point?” Daniel scooted a little closer to Steven, while still leaving a respectable distance between them. “Like I said, I get how it feels, that was the same mess with my mom. It sucks, having a girl that you’re so close to that everyone just assumes you’re supposed to be with. I never thought you’d be going through the exact same thing.”</p>
<p>There were another few moments of Steven putting the pieces together in his head before he finally got a better picture of what exactly was going on. Daniel was flirting with him after talking about his failed proposal, and additional talk about being true to yourself.</p>
<p><em>Oh.</em> The full extent of just what was going on hit Steven all at once. <em>Oh no.</em></p>
<p>“Oh, gosh, no!” he began, quickly pulling his hand from under Daniel’s. “I-I think you’ve got it all wrong! I’m...I still feel that way about Connie! No expectations or whatever there! I’m still fully on board with still wanting that stuff, just not right now!”</p>
<p>It was an abrupt sort of confession, spilling out of Steven without much thought put into it beforehand, but it did the trick. It was a relief to clear that up, but he only started to feel bad all over again when he saw Daniel’s face flush and his smile drop.</p>
<p>“Oh...oh damn,” Daniel said with a bitter chuckle, body language changing all over in a second. “I really misread that, huh? Look at me, hitting on a straight guy.”</p>
<p>He turned away from Steven, pivoting off towards the other even of the bench. He wrapped his arms around himself as he did so, in a way that just made Steven feel so awful. A few words was all it took to hurt a friend and make him worry that he’d entirely messed up the good thing they had going. This was entirely the opposite of what he meant to do.</p>
<p>“Oh no, i-it’s not like that either! Not straight, <em>definitely</em> not straight!” Steven wasn’t really sure why that was the first possible correction his brain went to, but there was no backtracking now. “I-I mean, I love Connie, but boys are still great! Like you, you’re super cute!! If it weren’t for her, I’m sure we—!”</p>
<p><em>No, wait, stop that!</em> Steven’s thoughts blared at him. <em>Don’t lead him on after you just rejected him!</em></p>
<p>“N-No, sorry, that’s still wrong! Not the gorgeous part, you’re still <em>totally</em> super cute, just the ‘we’ part! Not because you wouldn’t make a super cool boyfriend of course! It’s just that emotionally — I mean, you know that we’ve been friends for years — there’s so much between me and Connie! We’re not really a <em>thing</em> yet, but even then, I’d feel so bad if I ever did anything that—!”</p>
<p>“Steven.”</p>
<p>The sudden seriousness with which Daniel addressed him was enough to break Steven out of his ranting. His eyes widened as he realized how much the things that he’d said were definitely not helping. His cheeks burned as he covered his mouth with both hands, wishing desperately that he could just wipe his memory of that embarrassment of an attempt to clarify things.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how to stop talking sometimes,” he admitted, voice muffled by his own hands.</p>
<p>Surprisingly enough though, Daniel didn’t launch any talk about how yeah, that was definitely true, nor did he politely excuse himself from this painfully awkward situation. Instead, he stared at Steven blankly, only to smile and begin to laugh right after.</p>
<p>“Steven, you gotta learn to take it easy on yourself sometimes, you were so red you were starting to look like a tomato!” he said between his chuckles.</p>
<p>Okay, then. That was unexpected. This sort of playful nonchalance about how he’d just mucked up the night with his bad people skills was pretty weird. Daniel was definitely not wrong about him being red, though. Even now, he could feel his face still burning with self-consciousness.</p>
<p>“So...you’re not upset, then?” he asked tentatively.</p>
<p>Daniel just shrugged. “Eh, it kinda sucks, but what are you gonna do? I’m no homewrecker. Plus, I did get called cute by another cute guy, so I’d say this coulda ended much worse all things considered.”</p>
<p>Huh. That was certainly an optimistic way of looking at it. Steven’s blush didn’t fade whatsoever, but a smile at least made its way back to his face. Who would’ve thought that letting someone down easy could actually be so achievable?</p>
<p>“O-Oh, that’s good. That’s really good! I’m glad we’re cool.” Steven visibly relaxed a bit, leaning further against the back of the bench.</p>
<p>“Yeah, me too.” Daniel stood and stretched his arms over his head a bit. “I’m gonna get back out there. I doubt this is ever gonna happen, but feel free to hit me up if you’re ever looking to try and have an appropriately-paced relationship with anyone besides Connie.”</p>
<p>From anyone else, that joke might have hit Steven in a place he didn’t like. From Daniel, though, it was surprisingly not so bad. Something about his voice and his smile was enough to let Steven feel like he was being looked down on. Instead, he just felt like a friend, one who wasn’t going away just because of a little awkwardness or some spurned romantic advances. That was a huge relief.</p>
<p>“I’ll do that,” he replied, lifting a hand to wave a bit as the other boy skated off back towards the rink.</p>
<p>Another bit of drama, masterfully handled without any blow-ups or freak-outs. Steven made a quick mental note to write about this in his journal when he got home. Dr. Lin liked him to record his bits of progress where he could. For now, though, he was more than happy to get back to taking a minute to breath. He let his eyes shut again as he relaxed against the bench, drinking in the sounds of indistinct voices all throughout the building.</p>
<p>“Hey Steven!”</p>
<p>Steven shot up and opened his eyes just in time to see Connie skate up to him, smoothly gliding by and plopping down onto the bench beside him. There went that moment of relaxation yet again. Oh well, he was more than happy to have Connie be the one to interrupt that.</p>
<p>“Hey. You get tired of falling on the floor with Patricia already?” he asked.</p>
<p>Connie scooched a little closer and bumped her shoulder into his while she hummed indecisively. “Hmm, I could’ve kept going, but her knees were getting sore. Also, I think we need three people to do the move we were trying to do.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you <em>definitely</em> need three people for that one.”</p>
<p>“Then I guess that makes us innovators, reinventing the wheel!”</p>
<p>The two shared a laugh as Connie leaned in further, letting Steven’s shoulder support her. Up close, Steven could see the slight sheen on her brow and the exaggerated rise and fall of her chest.</p>
<p>“Looks like trying to fling each other across the floor took a lot out of you,” he observed.</p>
<p>“Eh, like I said, I could’ve kept at it.” She fiddled and picked at the fingernail on her right thumb for a minute before looking up at Steven. “I noticed Daniel and you chatting over here. You looked a little nervous. Everything okay?”</p>
<p>Of course she’d noticed. Connie couldn’t stop looking after Steven, even if her life depended on it. Steven shook his head but kept smiling, feeling confident in saying that there wasn’t a problem. Not because one hadn’t happened, but just because it was one he’d already worked through.</p>
<p>“Ah, I’m alright. Promise. We were just chatting about some stuff.” He looked up towards the rink, watching as Daniel wheeled up behind Patricia and fell into a rhythm with her, skating at her side. “He’s a really cool guy.”</p>
<p>“He sure is,” Connie replied. She followed Steven’s gaze over to their friends, carefully considering them for a moment. “I might just be a little crazy, but do you ever get the feeling that he might have a little bit of a <em>thing</em> for you?”</p>
<p>Hoo boy. That was either Connie being as perceptive as she always was, or Daniel was maybe a little obvious about it and Steven was even more oblivious than he thought. He found himself really hoping it was the former, even when the latter sounded a lot more plausible.</p>
<p>“You think?” he asked, tilting his head a bit and putting on his best surprised face.</p>
<p>Connie was quick to shake her head. “I dunno, maybe it’s just me. Like I said, I might just be crazy.”</p>
<p>Steven noticed right away when Connie’s hand found its way to his as soon as she’d said so. <em>Or maybe a little protective,</em> he thought with a grin. Good news for her that she hadn’t had to bear witness to the prior song and dance he’d just been through.</p>
<p>The hand on his gave him a quick squeeze as Connie looked back at him, a mischievous smile on her face. “What do you think, though? That something you’d ever go for if you were on the market?”</p>
<p>Steven pressed a hand to his chin thoughtfully. There was a desire to just dismiss the notion, but also to say something playful about how Connie was as much as he could handle. Neither of those were as appealing a simple, honest answer though. He leaned in and let the side of his head rest against Connie’s as he looked out to watch Daniel skate a circle around Patricia.</p>
<p>“Maybe in another life.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much to everyone for reading! If ever you'd like to share your thoughts or see what I'm up to, you can always feel free to hit me up over on my <a href="https://twitter.com/JosephThropp">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://josephthropp.tumblr.com/">Tumblr!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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